 Subjects -> GEOGRAPHY (Total: 493 journals)
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- Hidden in the bark: the unexpected presence of the leaf-toed gecko,
Euleptes europaea (Gené, 1839) (Squamata, Sphaerodactylidae), in Sicily
Authors:
Giacalone; Gabriele
,
Faraone, Francesco Paolo
,
Pecoraro, Marco
,
Sarà, Maurizio
Abstract: We report the first observations regarding the presence of the leaf-toed gecko, Euleptes europaea, in Sicily. During field activities for environmental impact assessment several leaf-toed gecko individuals were found in a restricted coastal area in the north-west of the island, near the city of Palermo. Further surveys were then carried out to better assess the presence of the species. A total of 21 E. europaea individuals were observed in a small area of approximately 4.4 hectares, consisting of mixed eucalyptus and pine reforestation. Out of the 21 individuals, there were 14 males, 5 females, and 2 whose sex could not be determined. Additionally, at least two pregnant females were observed. Leaf-toed geckos were found exclusively under eucalyptus bark, syntopic with two other Gekkota species (Tarentola mauritanica and Hemidactylus turcicus). The presence of such a breeding population of E. europaea is probably limited to a small...
PubDate: Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +000
- Global chorotypes of European black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae)
Authors:
Jedlička; Ladislav
,
Kúdela, Matúš
,
Kúdelová, Tatiana
Abstract: Data on the distribution of 238 European black fly taxa recorded in 97 operational geographical units (OGUs), of which 54 are European, were taken from published primary and secondary sources, summarised, numerically analysed and evaluated for chorotype identification. In continental Europe, 225 species have been recorded, of which 91 were registered only on the mainland. On the European islands, 70 species have been recorded, 13 of which are exclusively there; among them, 10 are European endemics (5 on the Mediterranean islands and 5 in Macaronesia). The individual species were recorded in 1–64 OGUs, the observed frequency distribution of species, according to the occupied OGUs, is strongly asymmetric and skewed to the right. This distribution does not fit the Fisher’s log-series distribution, the zero-truncated negative binomial, or the zero truncated Poisson distributions. The prevailing number of European black flies has a clear tendency to occupy small ranges. More than...
PubDate: Wed, 6 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000
- First record of Triops gadensis Korn and García-de-Lomas, 2010
(Crustacea: Notostraca) in Córdoba Province, southern Spain
Authors:
López-Martínez; Mónica
,
Garcia-De-Lomas, Juan
,
Marrone, Federico
,
Vecchioni, Luca
,
Faraone, Francesco Paolo
,
Korn, Michael
Abstract: We studied a Triops population from a Mediterranean temporary pond located in Guadalcázar, a township in the western part of Córdoba Province. There are four morphologically similar species of Triops occurring in the SW Iberian Peninsula. In particular, the two species found in southern Andalusia, T. baeticus and T. gadensis, cannot reliably be told apart based on known morphological characters. We thus used sequences of 12S rDNA as a molecular marker to soundly identify the population to species rank. Our results demonstrate that the Triops population studied belongs to T. gadensis. This result is rather unexpected given that the species was thought to be restricted to a small distribution range along the Atlantic coast in Cádiz Province. The population is located at approximately 170 km from previously known sites of T. gadensis and shows a previously unknown haplotype, the sixth 12S haplotype reported for the...
PubDate: Wed, 7 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000
- Long-term trend of Italian breeding forest birds and comparison with the
other Mediterranean peninsulas
Authors:
Massa; Bruno
Abstract: The author has carried out a bibliographic survey of the status of breeding forest birds in Italy over 15 decades (1872-2022) in order to establish an objective long-term trend (stable, increasing, decreasing, etc.). The number of breeding forest birds in Italy amounts to 61; their distribution, with a few exceptions, indicates that they are widespread in Eurasia, but only a small percentage of Eurasian forest species have colonized Italy and the other Mediterranean peninsulas, namely 49 in Iberian, 61 in Italian and 64 in Balkan peninsulas; a small percentage of them (between 15.6 and 19.7%) belongs to trans-Saharan migrants, and between 31.2 and 40.8% increases their populations in winter. The similarity between the forest species on the three peninsulas (Iberian, Italian, and Balkan) results between 0.45 and 0.48, indicating a certain difference in the overall avifauna in the three territories. Not all species have penetrated southwards into the three peninsulas; for example,...
PubDate: Mon, 1 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000
- Freshwater and limno-terrestrial meiofauna of the Massane Forest Reserve
in the Eastern French Pyrenees
Authors:
Majdi; Nabil
,
Araujo, Thiago Quintao
,
Bekkouche, Nicolas
,
Fontaneto, Diego
,
Garrigue, Joseph
,
Larrieu, Laurent
,
Kamburska, Lyudmila
,
Kieneke, Alexander
,
Minowa, Axell Kou
,
Laumer, Christopher
,
Sabatino, Raffaella
,
Sorel, Diane
,
Stec, Daniel
,
Traunspurger, Walter
Abstract: We report the results of a faunistic survey focused on freshwater and limno-terrestrial meiofauna to improve biodiversity knowledge in a protected area in the Eastern part of the French Pyrénées: the Massane Forest Reserve (336 Ha). The survey provided 1187 occurrence records from 315 taxa (most resoved at species-level), uploaded as a shared online dataset. The highest number of occurrences and distinguishable morpho-taxon belong to the group Nematoda (775 occurrences, 172 taxa), followed by Rotifera (219 occurrences, 67 taxa), Platyhelminthes (85 occurrences, 32 taxa), Tardigrada (69 occurrences, 25 taxa), and Gastrotricha (39 occurrences, 19 taxa). A diversity of meiofaunal organisms was found, in large numbers, in all the samples screened: from stream biofilms and sediments, to forest floor soils, mosses, and litter, to a broad range of tree-related micro-habitats associated with beech-like epixylic mosses and lichens, tree cavities, woodpecker...
PubDate: Mon, 1 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000
- Cardiocondyla obscurior, a new alien ant in Crete (Hymenoptera,
Formicidae)
Authors:
Schifani; Enrico
,
Georgiadis, Christos
,
Menchetti, Mattia
Abstract: We report for the first time the occurrence of the alien ant Cardiocondyla obscurior Wheeler, 1929 on the Greek island of Crete. Cardiocondyla obscurior is one of many congeneric taxa with worldwide success as tramp species, having attained a cosmopolitan distribution while having Indomalayan origins. It was first detected in Europe in 1999, and since 2015 it has started to be found outdoors in Southern European countries. Our record is the first in Europe in which the species is observed to be established outdoors in an agricultural area instead of an urban environment. Introduced Cardiocondyla ants are generally thought to have little ecological impact, although targeted studies have been lacking. Cardiocondyla obscurior is the third species of its genus to be found on the island of Crete, which is characterized by a remarkable ant diversity.
PubDate: Mon, 1 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000
- Concluding remarks on the 42nd Congress of the Italian Biogeography
Society (SIB)
Authors:
Sbordoni; Valerio
PubDate: Mon, 4 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000
- Open Access dataset on the plants of the Western Ghats by digitization of
50 493 herbarium sheets from Pondicherry and Baroda collections
Authors:
ANDRIEU; Julien
,
Narayanan, Ayyappan
,
Natesan, Balachandran
,
Dhandapani, Balasubramanian
,
Engineer, Riya
,
Chandrasegarane, Pradeep
,
Rajput, Krishna
,
Kothandapani, Rameshkumar
,
Ramakrishnan, Srilatha
,
Nagar, Padamnabhi S
Abstract: Human activities have led to a substantial loss of biodiversity, with Earth's terrestrial ecosystems experiencing over a 20% average reduction. Conservation priorities are crucial, but data on species, threats, and protection are limited, especially in tropical countries like India. Open biodiversity data, facilitated by platforms like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), is a powerful tool for addressing these challenges. This paper presents a new dataset of more than 50,000 plant occurrences, primarily from the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage site and biodiversity hotspot. These data enhance our understanding of India's flora and contribute to conservation efforts. Such open biodiversity data plays a vital role in conserving ecosystems, providing valuable insights into the unique biodiversity of the Western Ghats.
PubDate: Wed, 27 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +000
- Diversity of Platyhelminthes Proseriata in Western Mediterranean sandy
beaches: a database of species occurrences and traits
Authors:
Curini-Galletti; Marco
,
Fontaneto, Diego
,
Martinez, Alejandro
Abstract: We present here a first comprehensive database on the diversity of proseriate flatworms (Platyhelminthes: Rhabditophora: Proseriata) on Western Mediterranean microtidal, wave dominated beaches. We sampled 116 stations in two years, through Spain (22 beaches, including Balearic Islands), France (25 beaches, including Corsica), Italy (63 beaches, including Sardinia, Sicily, and Lampedusa), and Tunisia (6 beaches). In each beach, we sampled at three depths, corresponding to the swash, shoal, and subtidal zones. For each sample, we obtained environmental data. The research yielded a total of 152 species, of which 93 were new to science. For each of the species found, we coded and described 16 functional traits. We discuss the functional meaning of the selected traits, as well as on diversity patterns and emerging biogeographic signals across the investigated regions. We particularly focused on the most widespread and dominant species in our dataset, concentrating on their putative...
PubDate: Mon, 5 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000
- A new perspective on the distribution of Camachoaglaja africana
(Pruvot-Fol, 1953) and Biuve fulvipunctata (Baba, 1938) (Gastropoda,
Cephalaspidea) in the Mediterranean and the NE Atlantic
Authors:
Trainito; Egidio
,
Doneddu, Mauro
,
Furfaro, Giulia
Abstract: During underwater monitoring, one specimen of Camachoaglaja africana and one of Biuve fulvipunctata were found at the ‘Tavolara Punta Coda Cavallo’ Marine Protected Area, allowing to expand the known Mediterranean range of distribution of these two species. The finding of both species constitutes the first report for NE Sardinia and the whole Tyrrhenian Sea. By coupling data obtained from the analysis of social media and those present in the bibliography it was also possible to speculate on alternative pattern of distribution of these two species at a global scale. Finally, it is also confirmed the importance of repeated monitoring activities over time on the mooring buoys which act as steppingstone habitats for epifauna or for larval settlement and that are capable to provide important additional information on local biodiversity.
PubDate: Wed, 15 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +000
- The diversity of Protura (Arthropoda, Hexapoda) in the Mediterranean area
Authors:
Galli; Loris
Abstract: The Mediterranean area is one of the biodiversity hotspots where some soil-borne taxa reach a high peak of diversity. Within this community, Protura is a poorly known taxon of euedaphic microarthropods. Based on the literature, 77 species belonging to 15 genera, arranged into four families and two orders have been recorded in the Mediterranean Basin. Records are concentrated in the northern part of this area (56 species are known in the North West and 28 in the North East), followed by Macaronesia (20 species) South-West (10) and South-East (6). This diversity distribution follows the uneven research effort dealing with this taxon. Much work is still needed, especially in areas that have been completely or largely neglected by researchers to date, before it can be considered that a solid knowledge base has been laid on Protura diversity and distribution.
PubDate: Thu, 2 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000
- Areas of endemism conservation hot spots of Paraguay: A study using a
multiscale and diverse taxa approach
Authors:
Avila-Torres; Ruben Ignacio
,
D'Elia, Guillermo
,
Vogt, Christian
,
Garcete-Barrett, Bolivar
,
Escobar, Sara
,
Maldonado, Gabriela
Abstract: Areas of endemism are the basic units for the analysis of historical biogeography, in addition to representing areas of conservation importance. An area of endemism is understood to be the congruence of the distribution areas of two or more species, which are considered primary biogeographic homologies resulting from a presumed common biogeographic history of the taxa that are shared by these areas. The objective of this work was to establish biogeographic patterns in Paraguay through the analysis and identification of areas of endemism. The analyses are based on a matrix composed of 8,117 records of 300 species, including 100 species of Plantae, 50 species of Insecta, 50 species of Amphibia, 50 species of Reptilia, and 50 species of Aves. The analyses performed included an endemicity analysis with cells of 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 degrees of latitude and longitude. Using the endemicity analysis method, 129 areas of endemism were identified, which were summarized in 13 consensus areas,...
PubDate: Sun, 1 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000
- On the occurrence of Phallocryptus spinosus (Milne-Edwards, 1840) in
Sicily (Crustacea, Branchiopoda)
Abstract: The distribution, status, and phenology of the anostracan Phallocryptus spinosus in Sicily are described. The only population of the species to date known to occur with certainty on the island inhabits a few temporary water bodies located within the Natura2000 site “ITA010006 - Paludi di Capo Feto e Margi Spanò”. In these sites, the species co-occurs with an interesting halophilous flora and crustacean fauna. Based on available data, the concentration of dissolved salts in the water bodies seem to be the main driver of the life histories of the co-existing populations of the anostracans Artemia salina and Phallocryptus spinosus.
PubDate: Sun, 1 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000
- Class Trilobita (including agnostoids) from Argentine Precordillera
Abstract: This data paper inventories the records of 1763 trilobites (including agnostoids) from the Middle Cambrian inner and outer platform of the Argentine Precordillera (San Juan and Mendoza provinces). They were collected by Dr. Osvaldo Bordonaro and his colleagues between 1994 and 2013 and studied within the framework of scientific research. The specimens are stored in the Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA, CCT-CONICET Mendoza, Argentina), an official paleontological repository of Mendoza Province and are part of its Paleoinvertebrates Collection. The study of these trilobites contributed to the taxonomy of the group and allowed the establishment of important paleobiogeographic connections between Cuyania and Laurentia during the Cambrian. From a preliminary Microsoft Excel format, the dataset is now included in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF, https://www.gbif.org), under the publisher CCT-CONICET Mendoza (Argentina),...
PubDate: Sun, 1 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000
- The new Checklist of the Italian Fauna: Odonata
Abstract: Seventeen years after the publication of the last checklist of the damselflies and dragonflies found in Italy, an updated list has been compiled. This list reports 95 species belonging to 10 families and 38 genera and includes 2 national endemic and 1 sub-endemic species. Compared to the previous checklist, three species were removed, two subspecies were granted species status, and 10 species were added as new taxa for Italy. The checklist summarizes the current state of the knowledge on the geographical distribution of the Italian species with a regional detail. After the online publication of this dataset on the LifeWatch Italy website in 2021, some minor updates will be included in future releases. The newly discovered species are the result of increased exploration of the national territory combined with some possible range shifts, especially of Libellulidae species of Afro-Asiatic origin. This increased coverage of the country is the result of the efforts of many contributors....
PubDate: Sun, 1 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000
- Marine mollusk thanatocoenoses along the coasts of the San Pietro Island
(South-Western Sardinia): a first reasoning on species composition and
biodiversity
Abstract: We conducted a study on the taxonomic composition and diversity of thanatocoenoses of marine mollusks sampled at five sites on a circum-Sardinian island (San Pietro Island, South-Western Sardinia). The aim was to measure the differences in terms of biodiversity by analyzing shells >2 mm. We collected 71 taxa (level of diversity γ) at five different sites. Four species represented more than half of the sample: Bittium reticulatum, Glans trapezia, Lucinella divaricata and Truncatella subcylindrica. We observed a high difference in the number of taxa (level of diversity α) between sites (range: 18-41; after normalization using the Margalef index: 9.45-15.84). The turnover of β-diversity between low-energy sites was lower than that among high-wave energy sites; low-energy wave sites located near shallow and extensive Posidonia oceanica beds showed the highest values of diversity metrics. Climatic factors related to wave energy (exposure...
PubDate: Sun, 1 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000
- Vicariance and ecological dispersal in Papilio subgenus Achillides
(Papilionidae) and some other butterflies of Asia and the Southwest
Pacific
Abstract: Biogeographic patterns are reviewed for four widespread Southeast Asia butterfly groups in the superfamily Papilionoidea: Papilio subgenus Achillides Hübner, 1819 (Papilionidae), the birdwing butterflies (Papilionidae tribe Troidini), Genus Polyura Billberg, 1820 (Nymphalidae), and Genus Vanessa Fabricius, 1807 (Nymphalidae). The patterns of allopatry and sympatry are shown to be consistent with the vicariance of widespread ancestors with distributions including parts of Asia and Australasia, followed by secondary range expansion. Aspects of the distributions that are correlated with tectonic structures provide evidence of the age and origin of these butterflies in South-east Asia and Australasia. The transpacific affinities of the Troidini are consistent with a Pacific ancestry linked with former Cretaceous landscapes. The multi-island ranges of many of the butterfly species in Southeast Asia represent examples of metapopulation structure...
PubDate: Wed, 3 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000
- On the non-malacostracan crustaceans (Crustacea: Branchiopoda, Copepoda,
Ostracoda) from the inland waters of Fthiotida (Greece)
Abstract: In the frame of the activities of the LIFE11 NAT/GR/1014 ForOpenForests, some water bodies occurring in the "Ethnikos Drymos Oitis” (GR2440004) and “Oros Kallidromo” (GR2440006) (Sterea Ellada) were investigated with the aim of providing a first census of the composition and diversity of their crustacean fauna. Overall, the sampling of 15 water bodies (7 of them listed as “Mediterranean temporary ponds” sensu EU “Habitats Directive”) led to the finding of 13 branchiopod, 11 copepod, and 7 ostracod taxa, including 4 species new for mainland Greece, i.e. the copepods Arctodiaptomus alpinus (Imhoff, 1885) and Diaptomus cf. serbicus, and the branchiopods Leptestheria dahalacensis (Rüppel, 1837) and Wlassicsia pannonica Daday, 1904. The comparative analysis of the observed species assemblages and richness suggests that the protection of those ponds identified as “priority habitats” according to the “Habitats Directive” is effective...
PubDate: Mon, 27 May 2019 00:00:00 +000
- Occurrence, distribution and bibliography of the medicinal leech Hirudo
verbana Carena, 1820 (Hirudinea, Hirudinidae) in Sicily (Italy)
Abstract: The occurrence of the medicinal leech Hirudo verbana in the inland waters of Sicily has been lately overlooked. In the present note, the occurrence and distribution of this species is reviewed based both on the review of the available literature data and field collecting. Although a noteworthy reduction in the distribution range of the species seems to have taken place in Sicily in the course of the XX century, Hirudo verbana was confirmed to be still present in several sites located both within and out of Natura2000 sites. The Sicilian populations of the species should be included in the frame of the monitoring activities established by the Article 17 of the EU Council Directive 92/43/EEC (“Habitats Directive”).
PubDate: Mon, 20 May 2019 00:00:00 +000
- Aphaenogaster finzii Müller, 1921, a trans-Ionian species new to Italy
(Hymenoptera, Formicidae)
Abstract: The first data on the presence of the ant Aphaenogaster finzii Müller, 1921 in Italy are presented. Mainly distributed across the Balkans, from Greece to Croatia, A. finzii was discovered in Calabria, in the South-Eastern part of the Italian peninsula. As in the case of many other species of ants and other organisms found in this region, a trans-Ionian dispersal appears to be the most likely explanation of its distribution.
PubDate: Fri, 3 May 2019 00:00:00 +0000
- Potential influence of Mesozoic and Tertiary tectonics on the evolution of
European Hepialidae (Lepidoptera)
Abstract: The distributions of genera and species of Hepialidae in Europe are documented and mapped, along with species distributions extending to eastern Asia. Patterns of species allopatry in Korscheltellus, Pharmacis, and Triodia are consistent with vicariance resulting from late Cretaceous and early Cenozoic tectonics along the Alpine-Mediterranean Mobile Belt. Widespread northern and sympatric distributions are interpreted as the result of range expansion at the end of the Pleistocene. We suggest that the origin of high elevation endemic species of Hepialidae, particularly in the European Alps, is the result of passive tectonic uplift. Pleistocene cooling and glaciation is seen as responsible for extinction of populations in northern Europe, but without discernible impact on divergence. Absence of the northern Eurasian Hepialidae further south is attributed to an original Laurasian ancestral distribution in the Mesozoic. Fossil-calibrated divergence estimates...
PubDate: Sun, 21 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +000
- An updated list of chironomid species from Italy with biogeographic
considerations (Diptera, Chironomidae)
Abstract: In a first list of chironomid species from Italy from 1988, 359 species were recognized. The subfamilies represented were Tanypodinae, Diamesinae, Prodiamesinae, Orthocladiinae and Chironominae. Most of the species were cited as widely distributed in the Palearctic region with few Mediterranean (6), Afrotropical (19) or Panpaleotropical (3) species. The list also included five species previously considered Nearctic. An updated list was thereafter prepared and the number of species raised to 391. Species new to science were added in the following years further raising the number of known species. The list of species known to occur in Italy is now updated to 580, and supported by voucher specimens. Most species have a Palearctic distribution, but many species are distributed in other biogeographical regions; 366 species are in common with the East Palaearctic region, 281 with the Near East, 248 with North Africa, 213 with the Nearctic, 104 with the Oriental, 23 species with the...
PubDate: Mon, 11 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +000
- New eastern limit of the geographic distribution of Orsinigobius
punctatissimus (Canestrini, 1864) (Teleostei: Gobiiformes: Gobiidae) in
northeastern Italy, with biological notes on the species
Abstract: A record of the gobiid Orsinigobius punctatissimus (Canestrini, 1864) from the springs of the Gorizia Karst (Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia) is reported, extending the eastern limit of the geographic distribution of the species. This goby lives in threatened spring habitats, and has recently become rarer. However, although O. punctatissimus is listed in the Italian Red List of threatened species as “Critically Endangered” (CR), the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of threatened species classifies it as “Near Threatened” (NT). Despite its risk of extinction, the species is not included in the annexes of the Habitat Directive (EU Directive 92/43/EEC) or other international wildlife protection conventions. Information is given on the taxonomy, distribution, biology and conservation of the species.
PubDate: Mon, 25 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +000
- Amazonia versus Pontocaspis: a key to understanding the mineral
composition of mysid statoliths (Crustacea: Mysida)
Abstract: We have determined the mineral composition of statoliths in 169 species or subspecies (256 populations) of the family Mysidae on a worldwide scale. Including previously published data, the crystallographic characteristics are now known for 296 extant species or subspecies: fluorite (CaF2) in 79%, vaterite (a metastable form of crystalline CaCO3) in 16%, and non-crystalline (organic) components in 5%, the latter exclusively and throughout in the subfamilies Boreomysinae and Rhopalophthalminae. Within the subfamily Mysinae vaterite or fluorite were found in three tribes, whereas other three tribes have fluorite only. The exclusive presence of fluorite was confirmed for the remaining seven subfamilies. Hotspots of vaterite were found in Amazonia and the Pontocaspis, in each case with reduced frequencies in main and tributary basins of the Atlantic and N-Indian Ocean. Vaterite is completely absent in the remaining aquatic regions of the world. In accordance...
PubDate: Mon, 21 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +000
- Poor taxonomy and genetic rescue are possible co-agents of silent
extinction and biogeographic homogenization among ungulate mammals
Abstract: Genetic rescue is a measure to mitigate the effects of reduced genetic variation in endangered small, isolated (inbreed) populations by introducing new genetic variation into such populations. This is usually accomplished by translocating individuals from a related population, assumed to belong to the same, often polytypic species, into the endangered population. If, however, the taxonomic classification does not reflect the ‘true’ diversity, genetic rescue can have detrimental effects on the survival of the endangered population (e.g. outbreeding depression). Here we point to problems if erroneous taxonomy informs such translocating strategies. Actions that promote artificial admixture of evolutionary lineages may be ineffective, or they may homogenize existing diversity and biogeographic patterns instead of protecting them. The extreme result is to drive target species and/or cryptic lineages to silent extinction. We single out conspicuous examples to illustrate the negative...
PubDate: Wed, 16 May 2018 00:00:00 +000
- Epikarstic crustaceans from some Italian caves: endemisms and spatial
scales.
Abstract: The epikarst crustacean fauna from four Sicilian caves (Conza, Entella, Molara, and Zubbia del Cavallo caves) and four caves in the Lessinian Massif in the Venetian Prealps (Covolo della Croce, Ponte di Veja, Roverè Mille, Buso della Rana caves) was recently investigated. The two groups of caves differ in their environmental conditions: the Sicilian caves are fossil except one which has an active branch; they are all fed by strongly intermittent and scarce rainfall peaking in the fall. The Lessinian caves are fed by more abundant rainfall, with two yearly peaks (May-June and October-November); two of them are active, one has a temporary stream, one is fossil. The crustacean fauna found in the epikarst drip of each of the studied caves is characterized by interesting endemic harpacticoid and cyclopoid copepods, and one bathynellacean syncarid, often collected in only one cave. Higher diversity of stygobiotic taxa was recorded for the Lessinian caves (9 species of copepods in...
PubDate: Mon, 1 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000
- Mammal endemism In Italy: A review
Abstract: Although there are various checklists of Italian mammals, there is not yet a synthesis of those mammals that are endemic to Italy. Therefore, we provide for the first time a detailed review on Italian mammal endemic species including endemic taxa deserving additional studies. This review is based on the most recent taxonomic revisions obtained using Scopus and Google Scholar databases. We also considered the age of endemic species. Some aspects of mammalian conservation are also provided and discussed.
PubDate: Mon, 1 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000
- Cosmopolitism and endemism in free-living nematodes
Abstract: Most free-living nematodes should have a global distribution if they would follow general tendencies of microbial organisms. Information on free-living nematodes presented in this review demonstrates that this cosmopolitanism is less common than assumed by theory. While very large distribution ranges are observed in a number of nematode species, various examples of endemism are described for isolated units like islands, extreme environments and ancient pre-Quaternary lakes. Endemism is generally rare among microorganisms, but a typical observation for larger organisms. The biogeography of nematodes thus reflects their intermediate position between macro- and microorganisms and future studies on this interesting group may help identifying why the positive relationship between body size and range size observed in large animals shifts to a negative relationship in microbial organisms.
PubDate: Mon, 1 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000
- Big data in biogeography: from museum collection to citizen science
Abstract: editorial
PubDate: Thu, 9 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000
- An historical and geographic data set on the distribution of
macroinvertebrates in Italian mountain lakes
Abstract: Macroinvertebrates play a key role in freshwater food webs, acting as major links between organic matter resources, primary consumers (such as bacteria), and secondary consumers (e.g.fish, amphibians, birds, and reptiles). In this paper we present a data set encompassing all geographic and historical data available on macroinvertebrates of the Italian mountain lakes from 1902 to 2016. The data set, divided per Italian mountain range (Alps and Apennines) and administrative region, covers more than a century of studies of many foreign and Italian scientists. The data set includes 2372 records and shows macroinvertebrate occurrence data in 176 Alpine and in 13 Apennine lakes, of which 178 of natural origin, 5 reservoirs, and 6 artificially extended. The data set lists 605 taxa, updated on the basis of their current taxonomic position. Only 353 taxa are identified at species level, highlighting the still poorly investigated biodiversity of Italian mountain lake macroinvertebrates....
PubDate: Wed, 8 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000
- Endemism in historical biogeography and conservation biology: concepts and
implications
Abstract: Endemism is often misinterpreted as referring to narrow distributions (range restriction). In fact, a taxon is said to be endemic to an area if it lives there and nowhere else. The expression “endemic area” is used to identify the geographical area to which a taxon is native, whereas “area of endemism” indicates an area characterized by the overlapping distributions of two or more taxa. Among the methods used to identify areas of endemism, the optimality criterion seems to be more efficient than Parsimony Analysis of Endemism (PAE), although PAE may be useful to disclose hierarchical relationships among areas of endemism. PAE remains the best explored method and may represent a useful benchmark for testing other approaches. Recently proposed approaches, such as the analysis of nested areas of endemism, networks and neighborjoining, are promising, but need to be more widely tested. All these methods attempt to identify biogeographically homogeneous sets of areas characterized...
PubDate: Mon, 18 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +000
- Cave exploitation by an usual epigean species: a review on the current
knowledge on fire salamander breeding in cave
Abstract: The fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) is a relatively common epigean amphibian, widely distributed throughout Europe, which usually gives birth to aquatic larvae. Even if epigean streams represent the most common places in which the species breeds, in some countries caves with underground waters are also used. To improve our understanding of the habitat features allowing successful breeding of salamanders in underground sites, we combined an exhaustive review of the available literature, especially the grey one, with direct observations performed from 2008 to 2017 in several natural and artificial caves of Lombardy, Liguria and Tuscany (Italy), Ariège and Provence (France). We provide a synthesis of published and unpublished caves in which the fire salamander breeding has been observed, along with a synthesis of the investigated ecological, behavioural and morphological traits. The use of underground sites is reported in several published papers and appears to...
PubDate: Fri, 18 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +000
- Tracking the invasion of the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii
(Girard, 1852) (Decapoda Cambaridae) in Sicily: a “citizen science”
approach
Abstract: The first record of the red swamp crayfish in Sicily dates back to 2003 and, since then, the species seemed to be confined to a few localities in western Sicily. A small “citizen science” project carried out from November 2016 onwards led to the creation of the “Sicilian Procambarus working group” (SPwg), which aims at monitoring the distribution and impact of the species in Sicily. To date, the SPwg found the red swamp crayfish in five new sites on the island, thus doubling the number of local sites of occurrence. The new Procambarus clarkii sites lie in different river basins, some of them located several hundred kilometres from the invaded areas known to date, suggesting the existence of multiple independent releases of the species in the wild. The need of better informing the local population on the risks exerted by invasive species on biological diversity, and of carefully monitoring the impact of P. clarkii on the Sicilian inland water biota is...
PubDate: Tue, 27 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +000
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biogeografiche
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Friuli – Venezia Giulia alla luce di uno studio ecoclimatico
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biogeografia di Sardegna
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- Indagini preliminari sulla biologia riproduttiva e sugli aspetti ecologici
dell'Occhione (Burhinus oedicnemus) nella penisola di Thapsos (Siracusa)
PubDate: Fri, 3 Feb 2017 00:00:00 +0000
- Considerazioni biogeografiche sulla presenza di specie aliene nella flora
vascolare del Mediterraneo
PubDate: Fri, 3 Feb 2017 00:00:00 +0000
- Biogeography of dung beetle communities in the western and central Alps
(Coleptera, Scarabaeoidea)
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- Emergenze floristiche e caratteristiche vegetazionali dei calanchi della
Val Marecchia
PubDate: Fri, 3 Feb 2017 00:00:00 +0000
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